1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device with a nonradiative dielectric waveguide, and more particularly to a device which has a nonradiative dielectric waveguide and operates in a microwave band or in a millimeter wave band.
2. Description of Related Art
It is well known that dielectric strips are arranged between a couple of conductive plates which are parallel to each other at a specified space to form a nonradiative dielectric waveguide which propagates an electromagnetic wave in LSM01 mode or LSE01 mode. For example, if the dielectric strips are designed to be made of a dielectric material with a dielectric constant (∈r) of 2 such as fluororesin and to have a width of 2.5 mm and a height of 2.25 mm, the dielectric strips will form a nonradiative dielectric waveguide which propagates an electromagnetic wave in a band of 60 GHz. When these dielectric strips are put between two conductive plates, an electromagnetic wave which has a wavelength more than twice the height has negligible leakage from the dielectric strips. Therefore, an electromagnetic wave in LSM01 mode or in LSE01 mode is propagated along the dielectric strips without radiating, that is, with a small loss. Thus, such a nonradiative dielectric waveguide is suited to be used as a transmission line of a microwave or a millimeter wave.
Since it is possible to provide magnetic parts and semiconductor chips as well as dielectric strips between a couple of conductive plates, a circulator, an oscillator and the like which have a nonradiative dielectric waveguide can be formed. In this way, a high-frequency integrated circuit which operates in a microwave band or in a millimeter wave band can be produced.
In producing such a high-frequency integrated circuit, conventionally, testing is first carried out. For example, in producing an FM-CW radar, dielectric strips, magnetic parts and semiconductor chips are arranged between a couple of conductive plates which are designed for evaluation, to form a circulator, an oscillator and so on. The conductive plates are connected to an evaluation terminal, and the characteristics of the whole circuit which is composed of the circulator, the oscillator, etc. are measured. Then, the dielectric strips, the magnetic parts and the semiconductor chips are dismounted from the conductive plates and these parts are rearranged between another couple of conductive plates to produce an integrated circuit.
However, in this method, it is difficult to rearrange the circulator, the oscillator, etc. in the same way to reproduce an integrated circuit with the characteristics as measured. In this method, it is impossible to evaluate and adjust the circulator, the oscillator, etc. individually. Therefore, the mass productivity of the integrated circuit is not good. Further, when the integrated circuit has a failure or malfunction, and a part of the integrated circuit, for example, the circulator or the oscillator is exchanged, that change of the part may influence the whole circuit.
An object of the present invention is to provide a device with a nonradiative dielectric waveguide which is suited for mass production.
In order to attain the object, a device with a nonradiative dielectric waveguide according to the present invention comprises: a pair of conductors which are parallel to each other at a specified spacing; a dielectric strip which is disposed between the pair of conductors; a plane mounting surface which is formed on at least one of the conductors; and an end surface which is formed on an end of the conductors so as to be vertical to a direction in which an electromagnetic wave is propagated in the dielectric strip, an end of the dielectric strip being exposed at the end surface.
Such devices with a nonradiative dielectric waveguide which have the above structure can be produced and evaluated separately. After the evaluation, the devices are mounted on a substrate one by one to produce a high-frequency integrated circuit. Further, if necessary, the devices can be dismounted from the substrate separately.